Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device from which some cases and set covers have been removed and a method of manufacturing the same.
Discussion of the Related Art
Recently, flat panel display devices that have reduced weight and volume are being developed. Liquid crystal display (LCD) devices, plasma display panels (PDPs), field emission display (FED) devices, and light emitting display devices are actively being researched as flat type display devices. However, among such flat panel display devices, LCD devices are easily manufactured, have good drivability of drivers, realize a high-quality image, and thus are attracting much attention.
In terms of technology and design interesting to consumers, recently, research and development of flat panel display devices are increasingly required. Therefore, efforts are being continuously made for reducing the thicknesses of display devices, and research is increasingly conducted on a design with enhanced aesthetic appearance that can induce consumers to buy by appealing to the consumers' sense of beauty.
However, in design development for enhancing a scene of beauty or slimming of display devices that have been made to date, elements of a related art display device have been used as is, while the structures of the elements have been changed. Due to these reasons, there are limitations to slimming display devices and developing new designs of the display devices.
For example, in LCD devices of the related art, a lower case and a front case are necessarily used for receiving a liquid crystal display panel and a backlight unit, and moreover, a separate front set cover and rear set cover are additionally used for applying the LCD devices to notebook computers, monitors, mobile devices, televisions, etc.
As described above, display devices of the related art necessarily use the front set cover and rear set cover as well as the lower case and front case, and consequently, there are limitations in reducing the thicknesses of LCD devices or changing the designs thereof. Particularly, the front set cover and rear set cover necessarily cover a top edge of a liquid crystal display panel. Due to this reason, the thicknesses of display devices inevitably become thicker, and moreover, the border widths of the display devices enlarge. In addition, it is difficult to realize various innovative designs due to a step height in a border portion.
Hereinafter, a related art LCD device will be described in detail with reference to the drawing.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view schematically illustrating a related art LCD device.
As seen in FIG. 1, the related art LCD device includes an upper substrate 10, a lower substrate 20, a driver 30, a guide frame 41, a support case 42, a backlight unit 50, a lower cover 61, and an upper cover 62.
The upper substrate 10 and the lower substrate 20 are coupled to each other by a sealant, and a liquid crystal layer (not shown) is disposed between the two substrates 10 and 20.
Although not shown, a black matrix and a color filter are disposed in the upper substrate 10, and a gate line, a data line, a thin film transistor (TFT), and a pixel electrode are disposed in the lower substrate 20. Here, each of the elements is formed in plurality.
The driver 30 applies respective signals to the gate line and data line disposed in the lower substrate 20 to drive the LCD device. In order to apply the respective signals to the gate line and data line disposed in the lower substrate 20, a peripheral portion of one side of the lower substrate 20 is extended longer than a peripheral portion of one side of the upper substrate 10, and the driver 30 is connected to the long-extended peripheral portion of one side of the lower substrate 20.
The guide frame 41 guides respective positions of the coupled substrates 10 and 20 and the backlight unit 50, and the support case 42 supports the backlight unit 50.
The backlight unit 50 includes a light source 51, a light guide plate 52, an optical sheet 53, and a reflective sheet 54.
The lower cover 61 and the upper cover 62 surround all of the above-described elements, and act as covers of the LCD device.
In this case, the upper cover 62 covers a peripheral portion of a top of the upper substrate 10, and especially, peripheral portions of all four planes, thus preventing the driver 30 from being exposed to the outside and moreover preventing light from leaking from the peripheral portions of the upper substrate 10.
However, as described above, since the upper cover 62 surrounds all of the peripheral portions of the four planes of the upper substrate 10, step heights respectively occur in all of the four planes of the LCD device, and bezel widths of all of the four planes of the LCD device are enlarged, taking away from the aesthetic appearance of the LCD device.